The Beatles Remasters Pt. 3: Paul is Very Clean

In our continuing series, we look at the remastered versions of Past Masters Vol. 2 and A Hard Day's Night.

The Beatles' third album is probably my favorite among their early records. This was their first album to be recorded on a four-track machine, so it's surprising that this remaster is the first proper stereo issue of the album.

What makes this particular remaster endearing is the depth and clarity of the master that brings out all the tiny little flaws in these magnificent songs. For example: Paul's audible inhale of air before the high note in the title track, or the warbling of harmonica reeds on "I Should Have Known Better." "If I Fell" has a full round dynamic range that only swells wider when the harmonies come in. And "Can't Buy Me Love" has an ebullient optimism and energy.

With a track listing that ranges from the chiming chords of "Day Tripper" to the contemplative finale of "Across the Universe" and "Let It Be", Past Masters Vol. 2 has always been an interesting collection. "Paperback Writer", "Lady Madonna" and "Rain" all sound fantastic, as does the epic "Hey Jude" and the raucous single version of "Revolution." This last track threatens to blow the speakers with the sound of John's call to arms.

The Get Back-era material is very strong here, especially "Don't Let Me Down" and "The Ballad of John and Yoko", a song that features John and Paul on all instruments. (It says something about Ringo's ability that his presence is sorely missed on this track.) Finally, "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" may be the silliest song in the band's catalogue, but it sounds great here and ends the collection on a comic note.

The Beatles Remasters Pt. 2: No-one Buried Paul

Next in our Beatles survey, we probe Rubber Soul and ride the Magical Mystery Tour.

Listening to the new master of Rubber Soul one is almost bewildered by the sheer amount of aural detail that is present in the mixes of these fourteen remarkable songs. The effect is almost like a Rembrandt where the blacks and browns are stripped away and fresh colors spring forth.

Whether it's the formerly buried piano part on "Drive My Car" t(which sounded like a badly recorded bass guitar on the old CD) to the maracas on "The Word", Rubber Soul finds the Beatles in experimental mode, taking their first steps toward a psychedelic future. "Michelle" sings with simple clarity in McCartney's vocals and searching baseline. In fact, one spin of that famous ballad may lead to a re-assessment of Macca's bass-playing skills--he's pretty formidable!

From the first cries of "Roll up!", Magical Mystery Tour breathes with energy and psychedelic power. This opening cut is the sound of what never happened: Sgt. Pepper's on the road. The flutes on "Fool on the Hill" dance ad pirouette with the brass figures, each sound writ in large, bold colors. "Blue Jay Way" is even more weird and spectral, if that were possible. As for "I Am the Walrus", all the hidden messages and buried whispers are presented with the utmost clarity for the purposes of contemplating just what the hell a "crabalocker fishwife" is.

The collection of songs on the second half of Mystery Tour features a whole wealth of aural detail, from the hidden messages in "Hello Goodbye" to the rich textures of the orchestra-meets-rock-band tape experiment that we call "Strawberry Fields Forever." John almost seems overwhelmed by the amount of orchestral detail present on the song, and the touch of pushing the horns all the way to the upper right of the stereo mix works beautifully. Oh and by the way, trainspotters, John clearly says "cranberry sauce" on the fade-out.

"Baby You're a Rich Man" is cleaned up beautifully, bringing out the clavioline solo, an early synthesizer. Here it sounds remarkably like a shehnai, or Indian oboe. Finally, the self-reverential and irreverent "All You Need Is Love" is the logical successor to "Strawberry Fields" as rock band and orchestra come together once more in a rich parade led by Ringo's drums and the skillful arrangement for brass and strings.

The Beatles Remasters Pt. 1: Paul is Not Dead

The Beatles during the Help! sessions.

Paul is not dead. He is most definitely brought back to life on the new stereo remasters of the Beatles albums. I listened to Help! and Sgt. Pepper's and here's my first impressions...

OK. These sound REALLY good--a hell of a lot better than the tinny 1987 CD releases.
Both albums boast a vastly increased dynamic range--the stereo is so good and clear that it actually sounds like the Beatles have dropped into your living room for a quick gig and a cuppa, with Paul's "very clean" grandfather sitting on the couch.

Sir Paul's bass is pushed to the forefront on "Help!" where you can finally hear the complex lines that inspired the likes of Chris Squire and Geddy Lee. Other little details, like the sound of fingers moving and clacking the strings during "Yesterday" or Ringo's bongo fury during "Tell Me What You See" provide considerable pleasure and surprise--these things were completely inaudible on the old CDs.

The new mastering reveals Pepper in all its sonic glory. Tiny acoustic details come to the fore, but not at the expense of the overall sonic experience. From the cocktail chatter of the opening to the highly serious arrangement of "She's Leaving Home" and the circus whimsy of "Mr. Kite". The tabla player is in the room with you during "Within You Without You."

The music-hall turn "When I'm Sixty-Four" has a slight aural "varnish" to it--another effect that was not distinguishable on the old CD version. It really sounds like an old recording from the war years slipped into the middle of all the psychedelia. And "Lovely Rita" with its gorgeous opening vocal melody, erratic trombone woofs and clanking drums seems to leap right out of the speakers and onto the Meter Maid's couch.

Throughout the disc. the Beatles' voices sound further back in the four-track mix, giving the illusion of depth and breadth. Compared to Help!, the effect is that of a larger canvas, which is precisely what they were trying to do. "Good Morning Good Morning" (complete with barnyard sound effects) is no longer shrill and annoying as it was on the 1987 master. As for "A Day in the Life", the Lennon-McCartney masterpiece is overwhelming, from its giant orchestral wash-over chords to Ringo's slowed-down drums. Simply magnificent.

Each CD comes in an attractive DigiPack with cleaned-up artwork and reproductions of the original booklet. I decided against the big box set, but these remasters are essentally the same thing as the Beatles Stereo Box.

Concert Review: Porcupine Tree--The Incident at Terminal 5

The first North American leg of Porcupine Tree's tour for their newly-released The Incident came to New York on Sept. 24. The veteran British psychedelic progressive band played two sets, featuring a complete performance of Disc 1 of their new record. The second set featured a cornucopia of Tree classics, including songs from Lightbulb Sun and In Absentia with the odd detour into other recent albums.

Steven Wilson and company were in fine form, alternating between echoing power chords, crunching sheets of metallic guitar and delicate, almost porcelain textures played on piano and keyboards. Steven Wilson alternated instruments throughout the set, aided by touring guitarist John Wesley and keyboardist Richard Barbieri. Bassist Colin Edwin and drummer Gavin Harrison are the band's greatest weapon, a prog rhythm section that can actually swing.

At 55 minutes long, "The Incident" (the song, that is) is the largest work that Tree have ever put out. It is a song cycle dealing with a series of stories taken from contemporary news reports, boiled down to their raw emotional content. By turns critical, confessional and deeply personal, it is a work of staggering power. Yet the songs themselves are accessible, particularly the 11-minute "Time Flies" and the heartbreaking finale, "I Drive the Hearse."

The band also played "Remember Me Lover", the final song on the second disc of The Incident. Afterward, Wilson commented "That's only the second time we've played that one." Other highlights included "The Start of Something Beautiful", half of "Anesthetize" and a teeth-rattling "Strip the Soul". The whole show was accompanied by a dizzying display of visuals and experimental films by band collaborator Lasse Hoile. His surreal, scratched, disturbing images are becoming as much a part of the band's visual identity as Wilson's spectacles and bare feet.

Show openers Kings X (who almost deserve a post all to their own) played a strong set, featuring deep cuts from the band's vast back catalogue ("What Is This?" "Lost In Germany"), a couple of classic tunes ("Over My Head", stretched to a ten minute jam complete with dizzying guitar solo and a sermon from dUg Pinnick) and cuts from the band's new platter XV. As always with this veteran Texan power trio, they leave you spiritually refreshed and wanting more of their signature sound.
Porcupine Tree. Photo © Lasse Hoile.